Meet the new lens from Viltrox Jueying Technology – the Viltrox 85mm f1.4 Pro, designed for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. It will become a fast portrait alternative to the original lenses. The new lens promises stunning photos with silky-smooth backgrounds, as well as fast and accurate autofocus.
While the new Pro lens isn’t part of Viltrox’s top-of-the-line Lab series, which includes the 135mm f/1.8 LAB and the new 35mm f/1.2 LAB Prime, it still meets the needs of professional photographers.
The lens features what Viltrox calls a “professional-grade optical design,” which includes 15 elements in 11 groups. Among them are three ED elements, nine HR elements, and one UA element, each designed to deliver high resolution while minimizing distortion, fringing, and aberrations. Behind all of these lenses is an 11-bladed aperture that promises superb bokeh.
The new 85mm f/1.4 Pro is Viltrox’s fourth full-frame 85mm lens for Sony cameras, following the 2018 manual focus 85mm f/1.8 FE, the 2019 autofocus 85mm f/1.8 FE, and the 2021 autofocus 85mm f/1.8 II FE. It’s also the first Viltrox 85mm lens with a fast f/1.4 aperture.
Viltrox has gone to great lengths to make the new lens feel like a premium lens, including a dedicated aperture ring, a large focus ring, a built-in focus mode switch, and customizable function buttons that can be customized using the dedicated Viltrox lens app. The Viltrox lens is also weather-sealed, featuring O-rings located throughout the lens to ensure protection against the elements.
In terms of autofocus, the new Viltrox 85mm f1.4 Pro is equipped with dual HyperVCM motors. The manufacturer promises fast, efficient, and accurate autofocus across the board. The lenses from LAB, which also feature this autofocus technology, give reason to be optimistic that the lens will deliver high autofocus performance. The lens can focus as close as 79 cm, which provides a maximum magnification of 0.13x. This is slightly better than the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens, which has a maximum magnification of 0.11x.
Viltrox 85mm f1.4 Pro Price and Availability
The Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro is available for $598 from Amazon.com, B&H Photo, and £569 on Amazon.co.uk.
The Viltrox 85mm f1.4 Pro is the largest of the 85mm Viltox lenses to date. It weighs a hefty 800 grams, slightly heavier than the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens, which weighs 642 grams. However, both lenses have the same 77mm filter thread and are roughly the same length. The new Viltrox lens measures 108.5mm in length, while the Sony G Master prime measures 107.3mm in length.
The most significant difference between the two, at least on paper, is their prices. Sony’s FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens retails for $1,800.
Viltrox 85mm f1.4 Pro Specifications
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.4
- Minimum Aperture: f/16
- Lens Mount: Sony E
- Lens Format Coverage: Full-Frame
- Angle of View: 28°
- Minimum Focus Distance: 2.6′ / 79 cm
- Magnification: 1:7.7 Macro Reproduction Ratio / 0.13x Magnification
- Optical Design: 15 Elements in 11 Groups
- Aperture/Iris Blades: 11
- Focus Type: Autofocus
- Image Stabilization: No
- Front Filter Size: 77 mm
- Dimensions: 3.3 x L: 4.3″ / 84.5 x L: 108.5 mm
- Weight: 1.8 lb / 800 g
